Tipping

In budget or average restaurants tipping is normal, though not obligatory and you should rarely expect to give more than about ten percent. In fancier places you may well find a service charge of at least ten percent as well as a tax of nineteen percent (IGV) added to the bill. In restaurants and peñas where there’s live music or performances a cover charge is generally also applied and can be as high as $5 a head. Even without a performance, additional cover charges of around $1 are sometimes levied in the flashier restaurants in major town centres.